Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today confirmed the controversial HS2 project WILL go ahead - but that its northern extensions into the North West and Yorkshire will face review.

The high-speed rail project has won the backing of business leaders across the North and Midlands but has been heavily criticised after delays and rising costs.

Today in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson confirmed phase one of HS2 from Birmingham to London would get Government backing - as will Phase 2a from Birmingham to Crewe.

But phase 2b, from Crewe to Manchester and from Birmingham to the East Midlands and Yorkshire, will be reviewed both to make sure it is value for money and to give the Government the chance to "introduce an integrated plan for rail in the North" that also focuses on Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The PM also said the Government would aim to avoid more cost increases and "restore discipline to the programme" by changing the way the scheme is managed and appointing a dedicated minister.

HS2 should be 'just the start of the rail revolution'

Geoff White, RICS policy manager for the North and Midlands said: “Government has taken the right decision on HS2 and needs to remove any lingering doubt that the routes from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds will go ahead as planned. Effective and sustainable rail travel is essential to the future of the UK on many levels.”

CGI of the Curzon Street HS2 station in Birmingham

Although the headlines focus on speed and knocking minutes of journeys between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, the most important issue is capacity. This means that freight can be taken off the roads and be transported instead by rail, which is a much greener and sustainable form of transport and essential if we are to address the most acute problem of our day, the climate crisis.

HS2 should only be the start of a national rail revolution. High speed rail and the extra capacity it delivers is essential if areas like the North of England, the Midlands and the South West are going to ever enjoy the economic growth we have seen in London and the South East.

HS2 is essential if the east-west rail plans developed by Transport for the North and Midlands Connect are to succeed. It should never be a question of one or the other; we need a nationwide integrated rail network and the connectivity that comes with that if the UK wants to attract investors in the future.

16:04

Here's what will happen to HS2 Phase 2b north of Birmingham

In the Commons today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson criticised HS2 Ltd’s ‘poor management’ of the HS2 project so far, adding: “I cannot say that HS2 Ltd has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities”.

The PM said that should not detract from the overall value of the project, but announced changes to the project’s future phases.

He said HS2 Ltd should “focus solely” on building the railway between London and Crewe. Meanwhile “new delivery arrangements” will be created for the Phase 2b stretches from Crewe to Manchester, and Birmingham to Leeds via the East Midlands.

And he said the Government would “look at how we can best design and integrate rail investments across the North including Northern Powerhouse Rail between Leeds and Manchester”.

15:22

Steel industry welcomes HS2 developments

The steel industry says today’s HS2 news could help get the British Steel deal over the line.

15:14KEY EVENT

High-speed announcement is 'fantastic news' for the Midlands

Katie Trout has welcomed the HS2 decision

Katie Trout, director of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, said the PM’s announcement was “fantastic news”.

This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together the UK regions and to support the ambitions to level up the country’s economy, building on the investment and enhanced sense of optimism that we’ve already seen.

The importance of the additional capacity that HS2 will deliver cannot be underestimated, with people and businesses all over the UK benefitting from more frequent and reliable services.

In order to create a 21st century network that will unlock growth and increase productivity, it must now integrate with projects such as the Northern Powerhouse Rail and Midlands Engine Rail.

The advent of HS2 has already unlocked new jobs and apprenticeships and significant additional investment.

This will only accelerate as the project advances.

Alongside the terminus at Birmingham Curzon, we will see an Interchange at Arden Cross in Solihull, providing huge opportunities for regeneration at these two key locations and beyond.

15:03

Airport bosses welcome decision on northern high-speed rail

Manchester Airports Group has welcomed today’s announcements on HS2 and on creating a new integrated plan for high-speed rail across the north.

Delivering an integrated High Speed North rail network will fast-track the rebalancing of the economy.

The station at Manchester Airport, acting as a hub for the new network, will ensure millions more people across the North and the Midlands have access to high speed rail services and international markets.

MAG welcomes the Government’s decision today. Planned correctly, HS2 together with High Speed North will provide an integrated high speed rail network direct from Manchester Airport to Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and the North East, and unleash the full potential of the Northern economy.

The sooner High Speed North can be delivered, the better. Starting on its delivery quickly would mean that the North, as well as the South, benefits from new rail connections and capacity as soon as possible.

14:50

A different story in the South West

CGI of Bristol Airport expansion (Image: Western Daily Press)

While business leaders in the north and Midlands have generally welcomed the decision to move ahead with HS2, those in the South West have been disappointed by a major infrastructure decision there.

East Yorkshire train factory welcomes HS2 green light

The man at the helm of an emerging East Yorkshire train manufacturing facility has also welcomed the go-ahead for HS2.

William Wilson is chief executive of Siemens Mobility Ltd, the company building a £200 million facility at Goole, where 700 jobs will be created. He said:

As a long-term supporter of HS2, Siemens Mobility Limited welcomes today’s announcement that this vital project has been given the green light by the Government.

HS2 is a once in a lifetime opportunity to level up the different regions of the UK, playing its part to close the 40 per cent productivity gap that exists between London and the north of England. It will serve as a strategic asset for the rail network and the UK economy for generations to come.

Siemens' planned £6m rail innovation centre in Goole (Image: Siemens)

With faster, more frequent services and the introduction of new direct services, HS2 will bring people, businesses and communities closer together. As a high capacity, fully electrified rail service, its construction is also essential for the UK reaching our net zero carbon emissions target, with the expectation that it’ll take more than 2.5 million trucks’ worth of cargo off the road.

The connectivity provided by HS2 is essential to our ongoing business success. Ensuring strong rail links east and west is as important as increased linkage to London for continued investment into the UK. This includes our new rail manufacturing plant in Goole.

Siemens Mobility Ltd looks forward to continuing our work with UK suppliers and partners to realise the full potential of HS2. HS2 gives us and our suppliers increased confidence to continue our investment in technology and skills in the rail sector – something which is essential for the successful delivery of the project.

14:39KEY EVENT

'We’ve had the fluffy end of the lollipop for too long in the North'

MPs of all parties have been having their say in the Commons after the Prime Minister gave HS2 the go-ahead.

“We’ve had the fluffy end of the lollipop for too long in the North on transport funding so I’m absolutely made up by this decision on HS2 and HS3.”

14:29

West Midlands regeneration would be boosted by HS2

Nick Brown is chairman of the Urban Growth Company in Solihull which was set up to tap into the benefits of HS2. It is leading the development of The Hub, a regeneration area around the new Interchange station whose partners include Birmingham Airport and the NEC.

“This confirmation allows us and our partners to progress our individual and collective plans for The Hub with the confidence that such big businesses need,” he said.

“This commitment to the full high-speed network is a further boost and exactly the sort of long-term, large-scale infrastructure investment needed to make The Hub one of Europe’s most-attractive investment opportunities.

“We look forward to an even more productive relationship in future with the certainty that this announcement brings.”

14:19

'We need to stop talking and get on with building'

Hannah Vickers, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, which represents firms who deliver and operate infrastructure, has said “we need to stop talking and get on with building the future”.

A full statement from Ms Vickers read:

While HS2 provides plenty of lessons in how we plan, execute and communicate major infrastructure projects in the UK, today all in the industry will be delighted to have seen common sense finally prevail.

This is great news for people across the Midlands and the North who will benefit from an economic boost by being better connected. Thanks to capacity being opened up across the network projects like Midlands Rail and Northern Powerhouse Rail can become a reality. Finally, quicker links will encourage people off cars and planes, vital if society is to meet its Net Zero targets.

“There has been enough discussion and delay. HS2 was first announced nearly a decade ago. We need to stop talking and get on with building the future.

14:13

HS2 to 'create 2,000 apprenticeships'

Adrian Adair, COO of the Morson Group, has welcomed today’s news, which is reportedly set to create some 2,000 apprenticeships.

He said:

The recruitment industry has been poised and ready to help attract, train and deploy the thousands of technical skillsets needed to deliver HS2, and [Today’s] green light from the Prime Minister has finally given us the confidence and reassurance that the infrastructure project will become a reality.

As well as being dubbed as a catalyst for growth by transforming connectivity and capacity between the North and South, HS2 provides the perfect platform to develop a highly-skilled workforce across numerous technical sectors.

Together with carving out rewarding careers for tens of thousands of white- and blue-collar workers, the major project provides a clear pipeline to drive the next generation into engineering, with HS2 set to create some 2,000 apprenticeships.

Where we source this very talent will be integral, with current labour demands Vs supply, together with multiple economic, social, political and environmental factors, already posing risk to HS2’s delivery timeline.

The rail sector is unique when it comes to its forward-thinking outlook, with £billions being invested here over the next decade. But if we as UK talent specialists do not work together with our clients to plug the insufficient skills in the market and halt the sector’s rising age profile, then few others will.

14:08

HS2 news send 'clear message that the whole of the UK is crucial'

The director at Manchester real estate advisors Colliers International has said the announcement sends a “clear message that the whole of the UK is crucial to our collective economic success”.

Dominic Pozzoni said there was now increased likelihood that “concrete progress” will follow.

A full statement said:

The announcement that HS2 will go forward is key to unlocking investment opportunities across the UK and supporting the Government’s plans for regional economic rebalancing. Despite a history of faltering HS2 promises, the UK regional cities have been growing over the last decade as major corporations moved out of the costly capital to more affordable areas, sparking regeneration and an active commercial real estate market.

This commitment sends a clear message that the whole of the UK is crucial to our collective economic success, just as new regulatory freedoms are now available to support UK businesses and economic development, now that the UK has left the EU. Regional UK governments increasingly appear to be aligned with central government thinking, hence a new optimism is not misplaced. Good intentions look very likely to be followed by concrete progress.

While we understand the need for costs to be tightly managed and kept under control, any review of the proposed HS2 route between Birmingham and Manchester needs to be completed as soon as possible to ensure businesses and communities in the North West and further afield benefit from this investment in game-changing infrastructure.

14:01

PM promises more capacity and faster journey times

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking in the House of Commons in London about HS2 (Image: PA)

PM Boris Johnson’s announcement today follows the completion of a Government-commissioned review by former HS2 Ltd chairman Douglas Oakervee into whether or not the programme should be scrapped.

“A vast increase in capacity with hundreds of thousands of extra seats making it much easier for travellers to move up and down our long, narrow country.

“And that means faster journey times, not just more capacity.”

14:01

Focus needs to shift to how phases one and two are brought forward, Bruntwood chief executive says

Chris Oglesby, chief executive of Bruntwood, said:“Business leaders across the North and Midlands will be breathing a sigh of relief now that HS2 has been green-lit. We cannot afford anymore prevarication or delay as there can be no ‘levelling-up’ of the UK economy without transformational new infrastructure projects outside of London and the South East.

“The focus now needs to shift on to how we can bring phases one and two forward as soon as possible and to providing the North with a whole network of modern, high-speed transport infrastructure that it needs to sustain future growth.”

13:51

East Midlands Chamber welcomes HS2- and calls for Eastern link to be accelerated

Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber

The East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy, published in 2017, reckoned HS2 could help deliver an additional 74,000 jobs and £4bn in GVA across the region.

Today Scott Knowles, chief executive at East Midlands Chamber, said: “HS2 will have a transformational effect on the East Midlands and the UK as a whole for generations to come and confirmation that the project will go ahead is welcome news.

“Our region, and the whole of UK plc, deserves rail infrastructure fit for the 21st Century if we are to remain competitive and aspire to an even brighter future – today’s announcement will go some way to addressing this.”

But Mr Knowles said the Government needed to commit to HS2’s eastern leg through the East Midlands as soon as possible.

He said: “The vast potential of HS2 will only be realised if implemented in its entirety. While it is of course essential to keep an eye on costs, failure to deliver the Eastern Leg would undermine the whole project and greatly limit its return on investment; putting businesses here in the region at a distinct disadvantage in the process.

“Businesses here in the East Midlands are ready to seize the opportunities and benefits that HS2 will bring. We call on Government to confirm, without delay, that the full vision of the project will be realised; including the Eastern Leg which will prove paramount to our region’s future success.”

13:43

HS2 'truly transformational' for the Midlands and the UK

Steve Hollis is chairman of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s HS2 growth delivery board and called the news a “landmark that future generations will rightly celebrate”.

“The decision to commit to HS2 is a step forward towards a better future for the West Midlands and the whole of the UK.

“Our infrastructure is at breaking point and the challenges that lie ahead of building HS2 must not be underestimated.

“But, as the Government has seen through the recent HS2 review process, the opportunities for the Midlands and the UK are truly transformational.

Steve Hollis has welcomed today's HS2 announcement

“HS2 has already had a positive impact on the West Midlands, creating nearly 10,000 new jobs, thousands of business opportunities and driving increased levels of investment into the region.

“During the last five years, it has become an increasingly important element to business plans - this is why today’s news is so important.

“While there is still a question mark over phase 2b, I am confident that this review will have no impact on the timing or delivery of the whole of the HS2 network.”

13:29

Labour leader says HS2 fares must be affordable

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Government needed to do much more to improve British transport.

He told the Commons: “Today’s piecemeal announcements don’t add up to a serious plan to rebalance the economy or to tackle the serious climate emergency that we all face.

“They don’t even come close to repairing the damage done by a decade of Tory government.

“The Prime Minister laments our inadequate infrastructure yet it’s his party that’s been starving the country of investment over the last 10 years resulting in the worst regional inequality in Europe.

“Today, the Prime Minister is selling his announcement as a prize for parts of the Midlands and the North, I simply tell him this - people in those regions, to whom he promised so much in the general election, are going to be sorely disappointed when they see what actually happens.”

Mr Corbyn added: “If it’s to have public support, the fares on HS2 must be affordable and comparable with the rest of the fare system on the railway network.”

13:28

Decision will 'help transform North's critical infrastructure'

The chair of NP11, the business-led voice for the North, has welcomed the announcement, saying it will “help transform the [region’s] critical infrastructure”, particularly the eastern leg.

Stating that the “time for talking is over”, a full statement from Roger Marsh OBE, chair of the NP11 board and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said:

The confirmation that HS2 will be built in full is a very welcome step in helping to transform the North’s critical infrastructure. HS2 is a major part of ongoing efforts to rebalance the national economy and will unlock further opportunities for the North to become a key driver for UK growth.

In particular we welcome the commitment to delivering the eastern leg, which is critical to ensuring the full benefits of the scheme are felt across the North. We understand the need to review how this is delivered and have made the point previously that one option is to build from the North.

The time for talking is over. We all have a stake in the successful delivery of an integrated, modern transport system, fit for 21st century Britain. Now is the time for us all to pull together and get behind this transformative scheme to ensure that its benefits are felt in the towns across the North.

High-speed rail 'must use UK steel products'

HS2 represents a huge potential boost for beleaguered British Steel, where rail is a core specialism.

It has strong links with Network Rail, to the point where an ‘insurance bid’ for track assets was tabled when the company entered compulsory liquidation.

A deal has now been agreed with Chinese-owned Jingye Group, with final consents awaited ahead of a potential completion in the coming weeks.

Industry lobby group UK Steel’s director general, Gareth Stace, said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to press ahead with HS2 in full, and today we are calling on the Government to ensure that the benefits of this multi-billion pound project are felt in all four corners of the United Kingdom, by maximising the opportunities to use high-quality UK steel products.

“It is estimated that HS2 will use two million tonnes of steel over the next 10 years and the UK’s steel producers stand ready to supply the steel for the new track, rolling stock, tunnels, bridges and much more besides. The use of UK made steel for HS2 would support over 2,000 jobs, and deliver £1.5 billion to the UK economy – ensuring the benefits of this project are not just felt along the route, but in steel communities across the UK.

“Last May, the steel industry, with BEIS support, launched the UK Steel Charter, a new initiative that will drive-up the use of UK produced steel in public projects. We firmly believe that where projects are paid for from the public purse, there is a duty to maximise the benefits to the UK in terms of jobs, skills and economic growth; the use of UK steel will do just this. We now call on HS2 and the Transport Department to sign up to the Charter and ensure that this multi-billion pound project benefits steel communities across the UK.”

13:21

West Midlands development set for HS2 boost

Ben Gray is project director at Arden Cross, a 350-acre commercial and residential development site in Solihull close to where the HS2 Interchange station will be built.

He said: “HS2 has long been a catalyst for the development of Arden Cross as a brand new sustainable urban quarter.

“Interchange will sit at the heart of the development with direct connections to the airport, NEC, Birmingham International station via an automated people mover and Birmingham Curzon Street via the high-speed line.

“Together, this will create an active, engaged and accessible new quarter, which will have a positive impact on the region’s employment and economic prosperity.”

An aerial view of the Arden Cross site

13:18

HS2 'an affront to the Welsh taxpayer'

(Image: PA)

Plaid Cymru has also slammed the HS2 decision.

The party says Wales should get a spending uplift to offset the cost of HS2 in England.

Its transport spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards MP, said: “Plaid Cymru has long said that HS2 is an affront to the Welsh taxpayer, and with spiralling costs it is only going to become worse.

“While the Westminster Government plans bridges to Northern Ireland and £100billion railways in England, Welsh commuters are stuck on cramped, delayed trains that are unfit for purpose. There isn’t even a rail line within Wales that links the north and south of our country, never mind a high-speed line.

“Wales is losing out on billions of pounds of funding that is rightfully ours – it is simply not tenable for the Westminster Government to argue that this project is ‘England and Wales’ when not a single inch of track is in our country.

“Last time I checked a map, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds are all in England.”

Meanwhile SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said spending on infrastructure was “obviously welcome” but added it would not make up for the economic impact of a “Tory Brexit”.

He said: “No number of prime ministerial vanity projects will ever heal the economic damage and the damage to connectivity which this Tory Brexit will inflict.”

13:14

HS2 announcement could mean securing future of British Steel in Scunthorpe - professor

Dr Jonathan Owens, logistics expert from the University of Salford Business School, said the HS2 announcement could mean securing the future of British Steel at Scunthorpe.

Dr Owens said:

HS2 needs about 170 tonnes of long product rail and switch, which can be made in British Steel Scunthorpe. Therefore, it would make sense for this to be the plant to be the main supplier for the project. Buying raw material from overseas is a waste of time, money and effort, as well as increasing the supply chain cost by up to 30%.

Currently Jingye is stalling on the deal the negotiated in November last year. However, now that HS2 is confirmed perhaps the deal looks more appealing. HS2 is a huge investment for the UK and keeping the investment within the UK’s supply chain as much as possible is important.

HS2 is a challenging project in several ways, and it would be useful to understand and learn from phase one how these problems can be overcome, for example purchasing of property/land and routing of the controlling cables through cities etc.

Understanding how well it operates in the more densely populated south, and does it cut travelling time as much as promised, could provide benchmarks for phase two.

If lessons can be learnt, adapted and improved from the first phase, then it may be worth waiting until 2035-2040 for the completion of the Manchester and Leeds connections.

The delay for HS2 coming North to Manchester and Leeds should be an opportunity to improve and develop and improve current infrastructure by focusing on the country’s East-West rail journeys for example, increasing throughput and reducing overcrowding. The HS2 project coming to these Northern regions earlier could be a distraction on the urgent need to focus on an inadequate infrastructure.

13:13

Greenpeace slams HS2 decision

Greenpeace is opposing HS2 - and today it said Mr Johnson’s announcement today would give him the “dubious honour of being this century’s largest destroyer of ancient woodlands in the UK”.

UK executive director John Sauven said: “We’re totally in favour of a transport revolution that cuts pollution and carbon emissions, but bulldozing through irreplaceable wildlife and nature sites is not the way to go about it.

“The PM’s decision to green-light HS2 will give him the dubious honour of being this century’s largest destroyer of ancient woodlands in the UK. Over 100 ancient woodlands will be damaged or destroyed along with 33 sites of special scientific interests and hundreds of local wildlife sites.

“Giving the go-ahead to such a costly and damaging project is a missed opportunity. The Prime Minister should have created a first-class regional rail and bus service, up and running across the north in years rather than decades and without adding to the climate and nature emergency.”

CBI North has reacted to today’s decision, calling it the “bold, decisive action required to inject confidence in the economy”.

13:07

The Prime Minister said that High Speed North would be established to help integrate both HS2’s Northern legs and the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail line between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds.

Henri Murison, Director of Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: “The North’s civic and business leaders have argued tirelessly that major infrastructure investment is so badly needed to provide the extra capacity urgently required on our rail network.

“Creating a delivery vehicle to build High Speed North as an integrated high-speed network North to South and East to West, provides the best way to rebalance our national economy and secure the benefits of shared growth in turn, attracting investment in the shortest possible time.

“The Oakervee Review has set out how a process can begin swiftly for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, to be best configured together with the wider existing network to create a joined up new and upgraded railway for the North – taking up the ambition of the Victorians and being as bold as they were. It is the only way we will create the capacity we need to unlock the benefits passengers on packed local trains, get freight off the roads and provide the connectivity which is a pre-requisite of closing the North - South divide for good.

“This a once-in-a-generation opportunity; to create a truly balanced Britain that works for everyone. Integrating HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail is the first step – a bold, decisive, forward-looking step that I am heartened the government has finally chosen to take as politicians across both major parties here in the North have campaigned with us for.”

13:00

Liverpool Metro Mayor reacts

Liverpool City Region’s Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has said the PM’s announcement is “welcome”, but “falls short of the full and unequivocal commitment to HS2 and NPR that the north needs”.

His tweet calls for more local transport funding, adding: “I will continue to push for delivery of the new West-East rail line that our city region needs.”

12:57

Britain's two biggest train manufacturers welcome HS2 go-ahead

The proposed HS2 train design from Hitachi and Bombardier (Image: Hitachi and Bombardier)

Train manufacturing giants Hitachi and Bombardier are working together to bid for the £2.75bn contract to build 54 high-speed trains.

Today Matt Byrne, president, Bombardier Transportation UK and Jim Brewin, UK country Lead, Hitachi Rail, said: “This decision is a symbol of confidence in UK plc and great news for the whole country.

“As Britain’s biggest train manufacturers, we’re excited to continue our joint bid to design and build the Great British train here in the UK.

“It would support thousands of manufacturing and supply chain jobs and unite the Midlands and the North. It’s time to work together to deliver the full benefits of HS2.”

12:49KEY EVENT

PM also backs Northern Powerhouse Rail

Boris Johnson says HS2 will now be part of an integrated plan for high-speed rail for the North, including Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

He says: “This is not either or... both will be built as quickly and cost-effectively as possible”.

And he says high-speed rail north of Birmingham and NPR should be considered as one integrated system.

Without doing that, he says, or just doing HS2,, the North would not truly benefit.

“Phase 2b or not phase 2b is not the question”, he jokes, referring to the HS2 Phase 2 plans for Crewe-Manchester and Birmingham-East Midlands-Yorkshire lines.

12:45KEY EVENT

Boris Johnson CONFIRMS HS2

“If we start now services could be up and running by the end of the decade”,” the PM says, as he confirms the Government will move ahead with HS2 as predicted.

12:42

Northern cities namechecked

Boris Johnson namechecks Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds and the need for Northern Powerhouse Rail - “finally giving the home of the railways the fast connection it needs.”